Perplexed Understanding
by Don'tEvenThinkAboutIt
Summary: "Okay so, how do I get back?" She asked him. "How in oblivion am I supposed to know?" He stared at her in annoyance. "You said you would help me!" She yelled at him. "By the Nine, could you shout any louder? I'm sure the dragon heard you!" He yelled back. "Yeah right." she scoffed as a loud roar echoed in the distance. "Well maybe."


'How the hell did I even get here?' Ambrosia thought to herself. As she watched with large eyes a rather huge terrifying dragon burn down a nearby house. She blankly stared while processing past recent events. 'Let's take a step back and think how things escalated to this level, Ambrosia.' Her mind raced.

It all started today when Ambrosia went to visit her grandparents'. She had rode her bike for about two miles before getting to her destination, it took over an hour for her to get to her grandparent's house. Taking breaks now and again to rehydrate herself as well as catch her breath, "Come on, I know you can do this." She said to herself panting, "There are fifty year old ladies that can walk faster than you can ride this bike." Ambrosia scolded herself. You see, Ambrosia was not the most fit of people nor healthy. She knew this, her weight was over her size limit and her choice of food was not helping either. She had many choices to fix that problem, she _could_ eat healthier but food was like a life line to her and could not be sacrificed. So her only option was to exercise and _try_ to eat healthier, but self restraint was something she never practiced much.

Riding up to a small but quaint brick house she jumped off her bike and guided it to the backyards fence door. Taking off her backpack and unzipping a small pocket she received a key from its confines. Quickly unlocking the padlock, opening the door and closing it behind her, she stored her bike behind the house. Walking past the well kept garden her grandmother tended, the aroma of sunflowers and roses mixed well Ambrosia thought. 'It's always so green here, I don't know how she manages to keep these things alive in the desert we live in. It's like the old hag really is a hag.' Ambrosia snorted to herself. Quickly walking down the stone path to the house she arrived at the back door, groaning when she saw it was locked and her grandmother sitting on the carpeted floor on the other side of the glass door laughing at her. "Okay, okay you had your fun open the door Grandma Lucy." Ambrosia demanded, Grandma Lucy on the other hand had other ideas and started to mock her. "Open the door Grandma Lucy! You had your fun Grandma Lucy!" She repeated in a high pitched voice. "What kind of 'Hello' is that, you brat?" Grandma Lucy scoffed, "Back in my day we had respect for our elders." Ambrosia mocked her scoff, "Oh yeah? Where are your elders now? Six feet under that's where. Look at what respect did for them." Grandma Lucy laughed, stood up, dusted her pants and unlocked the door, "Get inside you little shit."

Quickly stepping inside the house before her grandmother decided to push her back outside and lock the door again Ambrosia asked the whereabouts of her grandfather, "Where's Grandpa Leo?" Grandma Lucy walked into the kitchen and received two apples, "He's out camping with his brothers, like they do every year." She then proceeded to chuck one of the apples at Ambrosias head. Ambrosia eyes shut tightly and her hands quickly reached out with spread fingers, to catch or to shield her face? Even she didn't know the answer to that question. The apple made quick contact with her hands. "Lucky catch." Grandma Lucy mumbled around a mouthful of apple. "Crazy Hag." Ambrosia muttered under her breath. "What was that? You say something you little shit?" Grandma Lucy demanded loudly after swallowing her food. "I said, where can I put my bag?" Ambrosia asked. Grandma lucy hummed, "In the closet favorite grandchild." Ambrosia rolled her eyes, "I'm your only grandchild." Ambrosia retorted while walking to the closet and hanging her bag on one of the metal coat hooks nailed into the back of the closet door. "You don't think I know that? It's still unbelievable that my spawn...spawned you. I mean really? There is not an ounce of Luke in you, well, your hair is like his. Half an ounce then." Grandma Lucy said while observing her grandchild.

Ambrosia was a rather pretty girl, her coloring went well together. To be quite honest Grandma Lucy was a little jealous of her granddaughters' coloring. Bronze skin matched Ambrosias dark brown eyes and curly black hair. 'Yeah sure she's a little overweight but at the very least she is trying to fix that.' Grandma Lucy thought to herself. "How is your father anyway? He never calls me anymore, he texts me sure. But he should know by now that all this new technology is completely ridiculous. How does he expect me to figure out to text him back?" Grandma Lucy complained, Ambrosia stared at her grandmother in mild annoyance. "Grandma, you text me everyday." Grandma Lucy waved her hand dismissively, "That's not the point, the point is that I don't know how my baby boy is doing and that he doesn't bother to call his dear old frail mother." Ambrosia took a bite out of her apple as she sat down next to her grandmother at the kitchen table, "Why don't you call him then?" She asked. Grandma Lucy widened her eyes and loudly gasped, "Me? Call first? Are you insane? Everybody knows you don't call first."

Their conversation changed many times that day, new couches, painting the house and what toilet paper is best seemed to be the most intense subjects.

"When did you even buy these?"

"I didn't buy them"

"Who did?"

"No one"

"Did you rob someone?"

Soon the sun started to lower.

"Why do you always feel the need to repaint the house? It's only been two years since you did last"

"I do what I want you nosey brat"

Light began to fade.

"I swear to God, you wouldn't know quality if it beat the crap out of you...Pun intended."

A self satisfied snicker was emitted.

"No Grandma, you're just going senile. Two ply is enough, why would you even need three ply?"

"Diarrhea that's why."

"That's gross Grandma."

Dinner was made and eaten and a visit became a nights stay.

"Don't stay up too long, brat. Sleep is essential you know?" Grandma Lucy lectured her grandchild while waving her pointer finger at her as if she was brandishing a weapon. "I'll go to sleep after I wash these dishes." Ambrosia replied waving a plate for emphasis. Grandma Lucy narrowed her eyes at her, "Don't think I don't know what teenagers do. You go straight to bed and no playing around on that phone of yours." Ambrosia pulled out her phone from her pocket and mockingly placed it in her grandmothers hands. "Here oh mighty one," she taunted while going back to wash the dishes. "Maybe staring at it will enlarge your knowledge for the completely ridiculous new technology." Ambrosia muttered under her breath. "Goodnight you brat." Grandma Lucy rolled her eyes and walked to her room, Ambrosias phone in hand. "Goodnight Grandma." Ambrosia returned while scrubbing. Quickly finishing up, Ambrosia dried all dishes and placed them in their respective places. Deciding that cleaning the kitchen wouldn't be much work she went to clean the counters and stove. Ambrosia hummed a lullaby while she scrubbed at the stove. She scrubbed particularly hard at a crusty and burnt part. When she finished she rinsed the rag, ringed it and walked to the laundry room to place it in the hamper. Ambrosia then proceed to open the linen closet and received a towel. Going into the guest room she opened all of the dressers drawers until she found the plain spare pyjamas her grandmother placed there for her guests.

Walking to the bathroom, towel and clothes under her right arm she opened the bathroom door. Turning on the water and adjusting the temperature, she then stripped of her clothes and stepped in the warm water. Ambrosia sighed in content as the warm water relaxed her sore and tense muscles. Reaching for the spare shampoo her grandmother left her, she uncapped it and poured a generous amount in her hand then massaged it into her scalp. She then rinsed her hair and applied conditioner. While she let the conditioner set and hydrate her hair she washed her body. Finally rinsing her hair and body she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed the towel she placed on the sink counter and dried her body, when she was fully dry she wrapped the towel around her hair and started to put on the her underclothes. Quickly slipping on her underwear, she then reached for her bra. All of her friends found her weird for wearing a bra to bed but she found it uncomfortable to sleep without one. Ambrosias breasts were not small but rather large, people say she's lucky but she disagrees, large breast are a hassle and most of the time uncomfortable. After all her clothes were on Ambrosia brushed her hair and braided it. Leaving the towel draped over the towel bar to dry she turned off the bathroom light and made her way to the laundry room to wash her clothes.

Dumping her clothes in the washing machine she sprinkled some detergent and started the wash, 'I can dry them tomorrow.' She walked back to the guest bedroom, pulled the blankets back from the bed and crawled in. Ambrosia deeply exhaled through her nose when she was comfortable enough. Ambrosia thought she heard her grandmother speaking to someone across the hall but quickly dismissed it. 'She must be watching T.v or something like that.' Ambrosia closed her eyes and counted sheep while she wished she didn't give her phone to her grandmother. Ambrosia slowly breathed in and let the sweet bliss of sleep take her.

Waking up was never a thing Ambrosia liked but this morning was very cold. She reached for the blanket that she must have kicked off during her sleep. But found that her movement was restricted, opening her eyes in confusion she saw that her hands were tied, she was outside, dressed in the pajamas she put on the night before. The clothes were torn, ripped and ragged. Ambrosia opened her mouth to yell at her grandmother for playing such a prank, it wouldn't be the first time her grandmother did something like this. Sucking in a breath of air she lifted her head and saw that she was sitting in a wagon full of strangers. "What the fuck?" Were her first words that day. She glanced around and saw they too, had their hands tied. A deep accented voice spoke from her right, "Are you okay lass?" Ambrosia turned her head to look at the speaker. The speaker was a built man with blond hair that barely touched his shoulders, he stared at her questionly with blue eyes."Uh, yeah. Where am I... we?" He spoke again, "I know not of where we are, we came upon you at the ambush. You were asleep" Ambrosia stared at him, "Asleep?" she said. "Aye, asleep, though I don't know how in oblivion you could have sleep through the ambush. Maybe you were poisoned." The Blonde man mused. "I don't even know what's happening, why am I tied?" A scoff came from Ambrosias left. "They think you're a criminal, that's why we're all tied." The blonde man growled, "We are not criminals, we are soldiers. You are the one that is a criminal here, horsethief." Ambrosia turned her head to the left to see a brunette man laugh mockingly. "Fine, _rebel_ soldiers."

A groan across of her pulled her attention to a man waking up, he had the same coloring as the Blonde man. Fair skin and blonde hair, but his eyes looked to be silver instead of blue. "Hey you, you're finally awake; You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush same as us, and that thief over there." The Blonde man nodded to his left. "Damn you Stormcloaks, Skyrim was fine until you came along! Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you I'd have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." The Horsethief looked at the Silver eyed man. "You there, you and me and this girl we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." Ambrosia stared at the Horsethief in confusion, 'What? Empire? Stormcloaks?' The Blonde man shook his head ruefully, "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now." A shout came from the driver "Shut up back there!" Ambrosia was tempted to yell back at the man but decided to remain silent. The Horsethief looked forward and nodded at a gagged man, "What's wrong with him, huh?" The Blonde man barked at him again, "Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King." Ambrosia turned her head slightly to observe the gagged man. 'I'm dreaming of war and kings.'

The Horsethief's face contorted to panic, "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion... if they've captured you... oh gods, where are they taking us?" Ambrosias brow furrowed in confusion, "I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits." The Blonde man said sorrowfully. The conversation closed. 'What the hell is Sovngarde? Is Sovngarde a person? What is going on?!' Ambrosia thought franticly,'was that chicken bad last night?.' The Blonde man spoke once again."Hey, what village are you from horse-thief?" Apparently the conversation wasn't closed. "Why do you care?" The Horsethief asked defensively. "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." The Blonde man replied. 'Nord?' Ambrosias thoughts interrupted the conversations flow in her head. After a few moments of hesitation the Horsethief answered "Rorikstead. I'm from Rorikstead." Ambrosia sat still in wonderment.

There was a large stone wall coming up, a town. There was a woman walking with a basket full of plants and a child following her. The wagons passed through the gates, Ambrosia looked around and spotted a old man sitting atop a white horse speaking to some kind of creature. 'Today is full of surprises, I must be dreaming' Ambrosia quickly pinched herself, a sharp sting of pain burned temporarily on her arm. 'That was not supposed to hurt.' Ambrosia thought. "General Tullius sir! The headsman is waiting." Ambrosias eyes widened, "Good! Let's get this over with." The old man replied. "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh! Divines, please help me!" Ambrosia didn't even bother to question what the hell the Horsethief just said. "Look at him! General Tullius, the Military. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him; damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this." The Blonde man scoffed. 'That's what that thing was? A elf?' Ambrosia thought that this wasn't like what Hollywood made things seem to be. Ambrosia stared at the huge tower they passed by. "This is Helgen." The Blonde man continued, "I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Velod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in." He chuckled "Funny, when I was a boy Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe."

A young voice called out behind Ambrosia, "Who are they daddy? Where are they going?" Ambrosia turned her head around to see a little boy sitting on a porch of a house. "You need to go inside little cub." The father told his child. "Why? I want to watch the soldiers!" The child exclaimed. Ambrosia turned her head away. "Inside the house, now." Said the Father in a stern voice. "Yes papa," the child said dejectedly. "Woah," the driver said while pulling the reins. A woman wearing the red uniform walked up to the wagons, "Get these prisoners out of the cart!" The Horsethief's brow furrowed in worry. "Why are we stopping?" He asked. "Why do you think? End of the line." The Blonde man replied while he started to stand. "Let's go, we shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us." The Horsethief gasped, "No! wait! We're not rebels!" He shouted while gesturing to the Silver eyed man, Ambrosia and himself. The Blonde man scoffed. "Face your death with some courage, Thief." The Horsethief shook his head "You've got to tell them we weren't _with_ you! This is a mistake!" He pleaded as they stepped off the wagon.

The woman who spoke before spoke again, "Step towards the block when we call your name, one at a time!" Ralof harrumphed, "Empire loves their damned lists." A Imperial soldier stood with a piece of paper and a quill in hand. "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm." The List Soldier spoke the name roughly. Ulfric walked forward to the block, a scowl on his face. "It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric." The Blonde man said. "Ralof of Riverwood." The Blonde man, Ralof, moved forward to stand with his companions. "Lokir of Rorikstead." The Horsethiefs' face paled, "No! I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" He bolted. The woman yelled, "Halt!" Lokir continued running and yelled back at the Imperial soldier, "You're not going to kill me!" The woman called out, "Archers!" Ambrosia couldn't believe her eyes as an arrow pierced Lokirs back. His body fell, dead. The Woman glared at the rest of the prisoners, "Anyone else feel like _running_?" Ambrosia narrowed her eyes at the woman.

The List Soldier called out again, "Wait... you two there." He looked at the Silver eyed man and Ambrosia, "Step forward." The Silver eyed man looked at Ambrosia the same time she looked at him, "Who...are you?" The soldier asked. Ambrosia could only stare helplessly at the soldier. Seeing the girl wasn't going to answer the Silver eyed man answer first, "Thorir." Was all he said. "You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman. I'm sorry. At least you'll die here, in your homeland." The soldier looked at Ambrosia expectantly, "A-am," she cleared her throat "Ambrosia." He continued to stare at her, "What are you?" Ambrosia blinked, "Excuse me?" The soldier cleared his throat, "Excuse me, I meant what race are you?" Ambrosia thought quickly, "I don't know?" Well as quickly as she could. The soldier stared at her more, "Well is there anyway you would like to be buried?" Ambrosia paled considerable, "Eh, can you just burn my body or something? Sprinkle my ashes in the wind? I don't know. That's a pretty heavy question don't you think?" He wrote something down on the paper. "Captain, what should we do? They're not on the list." The woman scoffed, "Forget the list. They go straight to the block." The soldier looked at Thorir and Ambrosia with pity. "By your orders Captain. I'm sorry. Follow the captain, prisoners." Thorir and Ambrosia followed the woman that condemned them, to the block. "What a bitch," Ambrosia huffed in disbelief.

The old man, General Tullius spoke, "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like The Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Ulfric growled at him behind the gag in his mouth. General Tullius continued speaking, "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace." A loud rumbling noise echoed from afar, "Now what?" Ambrosia grumbled angrily, 'What else could _possibly_ happen?' Ambrosia thought. "What was that?" The List Soilder asked. General Tullius waved his hand is disconcern "It's nothing. Carry on." The Captain spoke, "Yes, General Tullius. Give them their last rites." She said to a woman dressed in robes. "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved-" Her speech cut off by an angry Stormcloak soldier, "For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with." He walked briskly to the chopping block. The robed woman glared at the man, "As you wish." She replied. The Stormcloak soldier stood before the chopping block. "Come on, I haven't got all morning. My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?" He yelled as he was pushed to his knees and kicked forward by the Captain. The headsman reared his axe and swung it down on the soldier's neck. Ambrosia whimpered and reached out to hold Thorir's arm but stopped herself. Tears stung her eyes, this was certainly not a dream. How could anyone dream of such a thing?

"You Imperial bastards!" A female Stormcloak soldier called out. A villager yelled back "Justice!" and another "Death to the Stormcloaks!" Ambrosias stomach dropped, she pushed back bile down her throat and looked away in disgust. Ralof looked on in sadness, "As fearless in death as he was in life." The Captain called out again, "Next, the Nord in the rags!" She pointed at Thorir. Ambrosia shook her head, 'This is a dream, it has to be a dream. I did not just see two people be murdered.' The rumbling noise echoed again but this time it seemed closer, "There it is again. Did you hear that?" The List soldier asked. The Captain ignored him, "I said, next prisoner!" She demanded viciously. The List soldier sighed, "To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy." Thorir sneered at him and walked up to the block. The Captain proceeded to push him to his knees and kick him forward. Thorir made eye contact with a wide eyed Ambrosia and saw her face flood with tears. 'I would never think i would see the day someone would cry for _me_.' Thorir thought as he turned his head towards the headsman and watched him rear his axe once again. The rumbling became a roar and the earth began to quake. Thorirs' eyes widened as he saw a large black dragon land upon the tower. The Headsman feet lost balance, his axe weighing backwards pulling his body with it and fell.

General Tullius shouted, "What in Oblivion is that?!" A stormcloak soldier shouted back, "Dragon!" The towns people scattered and every soldier started to run.  
General Tullius shouted once again, "Don't just stand there! Kill that thing! Guards, get the townspeople to safety!" The dragon roared and out of the sky larged balls of fire rained down. People screamed and the air filled with cries for help. Guards ran around, trying to get the townspeople to follow them. Ambrosia grunted as she was tackled to the ground. Her assaulter and she landed several feet away from where she was previously standing. "What are you doing just standing there lass?!" A voice cried, Ambrosia turned her head to look at her savior, Ralof. "Oh, hey Ralof of Riverwood. Do you see that thing too? I swear I'm seeing a dragon." Ambrosia whispered. Ralof ripped her off the ground and shoved her in the direction of Thorir, who was still laying down on the bloody chopping block disoriented. "Girl, now's not the time to be questioning things." Ralof growled as they ran toward Thorir.

Ears ringing, Ambrosia loudly questioned Ralof, "What?! I can't hear you!" Ralof growled at her in annoyance and pointed at Thorir, who was slowly getting up. "Oh!" Ambrosia exclaimed and continued to run towards Thorir with Ralof. Thorir groaned and pushed himself up, Ralof quickly moved to Thorirs' front and helped him stand. Ralof yelled over the roars, "To the watchtower!" Ambrosia stood there watching them and was a little started when both men reached toward her and gripped her arms. They started to run to the watchtower while dragging Ambrosia along with them. Feet stumbling, she barely managed to keep up with the two men. She turned her head back and she caught sight of the great black beast.

Ambrosia stared with wide eyes at the dragon and wondered, 'What even is my life?'


End file.
